Result of Service

The consultant will be responsible for preparing substantive inputs on finance and innovation in the context of sustainable urbanization and conducting research under the guidance of the staff team to advance the development and implementation of the office program in Montreal.

Work Location

Montreal

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. Within this framework, UN-Habitat supports central and state governments, as well as local authorities and other partners for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA). UN-Habitat’s Montreal Office fosters linkages among research, policy, and action to advance sustainable urban development globally. The office will activate a network of key partners to accelerate the quality and scale of urban sustainability solutions to implement the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan, with a focus on housing, land use and basic service provision and their linkage to climate and biodiversity action to enhance urban resilience and promote equity and justice. The office will establish a hub to advance the development and synthesis of science, data, innovation, and solutions on urban sustainability. In addition, the Montreal Office will establish close working relations with Canadian and North American subnational governments, grassroots organizations, practitioners, the private sector and other relevant constituency groups. The newly established UN-Habitat Montreal Office is seeking motivated, highly skilled, and experienced professionals to join the team. The position is initially offered as a six-month contract, with the possibility of extension based on a positive performance evaluation. Reporting line This on-site position is fulltime, and it’s based at UN-Habitat Office in Montreal, Canada. The consultant reports to the Lead, Montreal Office, under the overall guidance of the Director of the UN-Habitat North America Office. Applicants must be Canadian residents or citizens or have permission to work in Canada. The consultant will carry out the following tasks and responsibilities: 1. The consultant will work under supervision of the Montreal Office team and in coordination with the New York Office team as well as with other regional, country or headquarters offices of the Agency. They are responsible for ensuring effective coordination and synergy maximization. 2. The consultant is responsible for keeping the North America Office Director and staff members in Montreal fully informed of all agreements, activities, actions, relevant challenges or missions that impact the achievement of the project objectives. 3. The consultant is responsible for preparing and submitting a Monthly Activity Report on time. The report must provide detailed information on the activities and tasks completed during the reporting period. 4. Provide general support to the office including participation in events and/or meetings and perform other duties which may be requested by the supervisors. 5. Analyze trends on innovative financing mechanisms and social and technological innovations for sustainable urbanization in Canada and worldwide. 6. Conduct research and analysis on best practices and lessons learned from sustainable urbanization projects and initiatives on finance and innovation relevant to the mission of the Montreal Office. 7. Prepare technical support documents such as briefings, concept notes and technical notes on sustainable urbanization finance topics under supervision of other staff members of the Montreal Office. 8. Keep abreast of emerging innovative approaches in sustainable urbanization at subnational, national and global levels. 9. Provide support and advice on strategic partnerships and alliances with relevant finance and innovation entities. 10. Develop training materials as needed. 11. Contribute to resource mobilization activities under request of the head of the office.

Qualifications/special skills

Master’s degree in Economics, International Development, Political Sciences, Finance and Administration, Urban Planning and/or Development or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A minimum of 2 years experience working in development finance, innovation, preferably linked to sustainable urbanization is required. Ability to combine and present complex information in a simple manner that is suitable for diverse audiences is required. Strong report writing and reviewing skills are desirable. Progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in the field of sustainable urbanization is desirable. Experience working in the UN Nations Common System is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For this position, fluency in spoken and written English is required. Proficiency and/or fluency in French is highly desirable, and knowledge of another official UN language is considered an additional asset.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.